Bonnaroo Band of the Day: Andra Day

As we’ve been doing for the past several years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with as many bands as we can from Bonnaroo‘s impressive 2016 lineup. We’ll start from the bottom and work our way up, paying special attention to the smaller and lesser known acts on this year’s bill. Keep reading for your Bonnaroo Band of the Day…

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Born and raised in Spokane, WA and trained in San Diego, Andra Day‘s path to the top has not been the traditional route taken during the resurgence of contemporary pop-based R&B, but her arrival is well deserved. With a vocal prowess reminiscent of Amy Winehouse that could stop Adele mid silly giggle, Day’s talent is clear. She first caught the nation’s attention with her covers of Florence + The Machine, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Muse, and others; however, it was her cover of Jessie J’s “Mamma Knows Best” that really solidified her position, as it soared through the online charts and has received millions of streams.

Day had a lot of ears when she released her debut album Cheers To The Fall last year, which featured a backing band including Questlove and James Poyser of The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Sharon Jones’ The Dap Kings. She caught the eye of Spike Lee at the Sundance Film Festival, and he offered to direct the video for her single “Forever Mine.” Things really began to look up for Andra at the end of 2015, when you probably remember seeing her in the Apple Christmas commercial with Stevie Wonder, and then the smash single “Rise Up” was subsequently nominated for the Best R&B Performance alongside a Best R&B Album nod for Cheers To The Fall. Needless to say, the future looks electric for Andra Day, and the tent you will probably see her in at Bonnaroo this year, may mark the last time you aren’t paying $100+ bucks to catch this fast rising starlet.